Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Insurers Turn To Social Networking To Detect Fraud

Los Angeles Times: Insurers Are Scouring Social Media For Evidence Of FraudSocial-networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace have become the go-to places where employers, college admissions officers and divorce lawyers can do background checks. Armed with the information, police have caught fugitives, lawyers have discredited witnesses and companies have discovered perfect-on-paper applicants engaged in illegal or simply embarrassing behavior. And now insurance companies are exploiting the free, easily accessible websites. Such sites have become the latest tools in detecting fraud, which the industry says costs the U.S. as much as $80 billion a year and accounts for 3% to 10% of total annual health care spending (Li, 1/24).
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